UNDP state that significant progress made in DRC development

By

Darell Maurice

Priya Gajraj, Country Director of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), said on Wednesday, in the capital city Kinshasa that “the DRC is in the top ten reformers out of 189 and has the most attractive investment and mining codes, which helps to explain the economic growth of the country (8.5% in 2013; 8.9% in 2014 and 8.4% in 2015).”

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations system, it has taken stock of developments in the DRC from 1976 to date, and has addressed the significant progress made in the DRC in terms socio-economic development.

Priya Gajraj made ??this assessment during the weekly press briefing of the United Nations, stating that UNDP support contributed significantly to the increase in the economic performance of the DRC. She said that for the first time in more ten years, “the country in 2015 was last in the global HDI ranking from 186th to the 176th spot. It also displays the sixth best performance in terms of women’s economic empowerment in Africa.”

The Country Director said that the prospects for this year are, among others, the need to make economic growth more inclusive, successful implementation of the new international development agenda post 2015 SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) adopted at the 70th General assembly of the United Nations and implementation of the Paris Agreement through climate change requires a political transformation strategy and long-term socio-economic and strategic coordination of actions of all national and international development partners of the country.

The future UNDP country office actions will complement this philosophy, in line with the overall framework of support of the United Nations system integration, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) defined by the group UN development. These actions will focus on support for the anchoring of SDGs at national and local levels by integrating them into national development plans, as well as provincial and local, including in the budgeting process thereon.

It is also about the channeling of national resources, including those of the UNDP office in priority areas, paying particular attention to synergies and compromise with all other sectors, bottlenecks, financing, partners and measurability; ensuring that the skills and expertise of UNDP development are made available within a reasonable time and at the best possible cost and the implementation of device, monitoring and evaluation tools adapted to the country that can provide information on progress and ensure accountability for achieving the SDGs and the emergence of the country in 2030.

Darell Maurice

Darell Maurice is a Journalist based in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital city Kinshasa and works for Canal7kintv. He also blogs here.